The present invention relates broadly to school bus safety equipment and, more particularly, to crossing arms that are mounted on the front portion of a school bus to prevent children from walking beneath the line of sight of the driver. Bus mobile vehicles are for transporting people.
School bus safety crossing arms are known, generally, to include a light weight, frame-like arm member which is pivotally mounted to one front corner of the school bus nearest the door. A control system acts to operate a drive motor to cause the arm to move pivotally from a position parallel with the bus bumper to a position parallel with the side of the bus and projecting forwardly from the front bumper. The school bus provides controls for the driver's selective operation.
In operation, the driver extends the crossing arms when discharging or taking on passengers. As stated above, these arms prevent children from walking so closely to the bus so as to be out of the line of sight of the driver which, in the past, has resulted in injuries.
In order for the crossing arm to be effective, the arm must be mounted so that, in its extended position, it is parallel to both the ground and the side of the bus. This mounting allows the arm to pivot through a horizontal plane, thus reducing wear on the bearings and other drive components. As bus front facias become more streamlined, mounting becomes difficult because the bumpers are becoming more integrated with the front-end components of the bus body. Fuel conservation concerns are leading to more streamlined buses and, consequently, mounting of the crossing arms becomes more difficult when the preferred geometry is to be maintained. Currently, brackets are used which are often bolted to the front, top and sides of a bus bumper. These brackets are used regardless of the actuation method associated with the unit, which could include air, vacuum or electric control. As a result, the crossing arm unit, in its retracted position, is located 4 to 5 inches in front of the bumper itself.
Consequently, there exist a need for a safety crossing arm which more fully integrates with the front end of a school bus.